Coin holding and ash tray device



' June 18, 1963 D. v. WILLS 3,094,129

com HOLDING AND ASH TRAY DEVICE Filed June 10. 1960 a II &\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\V 30 INVENTOR.

DA W0 M W/L LS BY MJ/LWW ATTOK/VEX United States Patent() 3,094,129 COIN HOLDING AND'ASH TRAY DEVIC David V. Wills, 4828 Brown St., Philadelphia, Pa. Filed June 10, 1960, Ser. No. 35,319 Claims. (Cl. 131-438) This invention relates to article holders and more particularly, to a coin holding device for use in automotive vehicles. a

Ordinarily, it isinconvenient'to reach into a pocket or purse, for coins and currency while driving. It is therefore an object of the'pr'e-sent invention to provide a conventional device which is readily mounted upon the dashboard of a vehicle that will hold a selection of coins and currency for payment 'of various tolls and for various purchases during travel. 1

Another object of the present invention is to provide an article holder of the type described having a permanent magnet which will secure the device in place upon a dashboard of the vehicle, does not require a permanent installation, and will not interfere with the normal operation of other accessories of the vehicle.

A more specific object of the present invention is to provide an article holding device which can be conveniently used as a coin and currency holder and a cigarette ashtray by the driver and passengers.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a holding device of the above type in which a trough is selectively movable between a first position adjacent to a front side of the assembly, in which it serves as an ash receiver and coin tray, but which is selectively movable to a rearward position or completely removable whenever desired.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a coin holding device of the aforementioned type which can be manufactured in large quantities at a relatively low cost, and which is attractive and unusual in appearance so as to be adaptable for all types of vehicles.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an article holderassembly made in accordance with the present invention in actual use as an ash tray;

FIGURE 2 is an end elevational view of the assembly shown in FIGURE 1 in an adjusted position; and

FIGURE 3 is a front elevational view of the assembly shown in FIGURE 1 in use as a coin holder with the tray portion removed.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing, an article holder assembly made in accordance with the present invention is shown to include a main frame consisting of a base plate 12 and a pair of spaced apart parallel side walls 14 which project upwardly therefrom.

One or more permanent magnets 16, secured to the base 12, such as by rivets 18, serve as a mounting means for detachably securing the assemblyupon a magnetically permeable surface 20 of the vehicle, such as the dashboard.

. Each side wall 14 is further provided with an inwardly extending sleeve portion 22 upon which a coil spring 24 is mounted as shown in FIGURE 3. This spring serves as a coin holder for supporting individual coins between adjacent convolutions, as shown in FIGURE 3. However, the space between adjacent convolutions increases in dimension toward the center of the spring, to facilitate the insertion of a cigarette 25, as shown in FIGURE 1. Thus, the coin holder spring 24 may also be used as a cigarette holder, whenever required.

Each side wall 14 is further provided with an aperture 26 which communicates with the interior of the respective 3,094,129 Patented June 18, 1963 sleeve 22 so as to serve as a currency holder which one or more bills may be stored for use. Since the bills are relatively flexible, their presence will not interfere with the normal use of the coin holder in which it is only necessary to insert the coins 27 partly into the space between adjacent convolutions.

A shallow trough-like tray 28 is provided witha pair of side arms 30, the free end of each of which includes an inwardly projecting detent 32 that is slidably and pivotally received withinan upwardly opening groove 34 formed on the exterior side of each side wall 14. The length ofthe arms 30 is such that the tray 28 may selectively be rotated between the. normally forwardly disposed position shown inFIGURE 1 and the rearwardly adjust ed position shown in FIGURE 2, or completely removed,

as shown in broken lines in FIGURE 2. The side edges 36,38 of the tray 28 or straight and flat so as to provide full face flush engagement with the. facing sides of the mounting elements 16 in either the forwardly disposed or rearwardly pivoted positions thereof. This tray, when in the forwardly disposed position serves as a coin holder for loose change which may be placed therewithin or which may be temporarily dislodged from the coin holder spring 24. Also, this tray serves as an ash receiver for preventing accidental injury or damage due to falling ashes from a cigarette 25 placed upon the spring 24. It will also be noted that a space 40 is provided between the base 12 and the spring 24, which may be used for clam-pingly receiving currency therein for more accessible use.

In use, an assembly is provided which can be placed upon any metallic magnetically permeable surface of the automotive vehicle, to serve as a holder for various articles, such as the aforementioned coins, currency, and cigarettes. The parts may be constructed of any desired material and color arrangement to further enhance the appearance thereof and its application to all types of vehicles.

While this invention has been described with particular reference to the construction shown in the drawing, it is to be understood that such is not to be construed as imparting limitations upon the invention, which is best defined by the claims appended hereto.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. An article holder comprising a main frame, mounting means for detachably securing said main frame upon a vehicle part, a pair of laterally spaced apart side walls mounted upon said base, each having a groove opening extending in one direction away from said base and partly along the length of said side wall, a coil spring having a plurality of spaced apart convolutions for receiving coins between adjacent convolutions of said spring, and a tray supported upon said main frame adjacent to said coil spring for receiving coins therein removed from said spring comprising a shallow trough extending substantially the entire length of said main frame and a pair of arms each joined with said trough and including a detent portion received within a respective one of the grooves of said side walls for pivotally connecting said trough with said side walls to provide angular adjustment of said tray for being horizontally positionable to serve as an ash tray.

2. The holder of claim 1 including first and second sleeve members carried respectively by each of said side walls of said main frame and each receiving thereabout a respective end of said coil spring, and each of said side walls includes an opening into each of said respective sleeve members for receiving currency within said coil spring through either of said openings. 7

3. The holder of claim 2 in which said trough includes a concave plate having a pair of laterally spaced apart gitudinal space for receiving currency,'said base and coil spring clampingly securing currency placed therebetween.

4. A combination coin holder and cigarette supporting ash tray comprising a base member adapted for being positioned upon a supporting body, said base having bracket members extending from said base at opposite ends thereof, said brackets having means for supporting a helical member therebetween in spaced parallel relation to said base and said brackets having means for supporting a tray thereon, ahelical member and a tray supported by said bracket members, said tray comprising a fiat planar portion adapted to rest upon said supporting surface beside and parallel to said base and also comprising arms at opposite ends thereof pivotally and removably attaching said tray to said brackets whereby said tray may be pivoted and placed in a horizontal position beside said helical member in order to receive ashes which may fall from a cigarette placed between adjacent portions of the helical member, may be removed from the brackets and base in order to empty and clean the same, or may be pivoted on said bracket adjacent to the helical member or the side thereof opposite from that wherein said tray was horizontally disposed, to a position where it serves as a stop limiting the extent to which coins may be placed in said helical member.

5. The combination of claim 4 in which said means on said brackets for pivotally supporting and attaching the arms of said tray with said base are eccentrically located with respect to the central axis perpendicular to said base of each of said brackets of said base.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 298,379 Heysinger May 13, 1884 483,572 Moore Oct. 4, 1892 561,877 Fallon June 9, 1896 1,061,551 Lewis May 13, 1913 1,240,706 Gropengieser Sept. 18, 1917 2,185,086 Janke Dec. 26, 1939 2,210,291 Herr Aug. 6, 1940 2,213,046 Mather Aug. 27, 1940 2,250,178 Brush July 22, 1941 2,506,600 Kassovic May 9, 1950 2,621,661 Gaskin Dec. 16, 1952 2,796,068 Healy June 18, 1957 

4. A COMBINATION COIN HOLDER AND CIGARETTE SUPPORTING ASH TRAY COMPRISING A BASE MEMBER ADAPTED FOR BEING POSITIONED UPON A SUPPORTING BODY, SAID BASE HAVING BRACKET MEMBERS EXTENDING FROM SAID BASE AT OPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF, SAID BRACKETS HAVING MEANS FOR SUPPORTING A HELICAL MEMBER THEREBETWEEN IN SPACED PARALLEL RELATION TO SAID BASE AND SAID BRACKETS HAVING MEANS FOR SUPPORTING A TRAY THEREON, A HELICAL MEMBER AND A TRAY SUPPORTED BY SAID BRACKET MEMBERS, SAID TRAY COMPRISING A FLAT PLANAR PORTION ADAPTED TO REST UPON SAID SUPPORTING SURFACE BESIDE AND PARALLEL TO SAID BASE AND ALSO COMPRISING ARMS AT OPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF PIVOTALLY AND REMOVEBLY ATTACHING SAID TRAY TO SAID BRACKETS WHEREBY SAID TRAY MAY BE PIVOTED AND PLACED IN A HORIZONTAL POSITION BESIDE SAID HELICAL MEMBER IN ORDER TO RECEIVE ASHES WHICH MAY FALL FROM A CIGARETTE PLACED BETWEEN ADJACENT PORTIONS OF THE HELICAL MEMBER, MAY BE REMOVED FROM THE BRACKETS AND BASE IN ORDER TO EMPTY AND CLEAN THE SAME, OR MAY BE PIVOTED ON SAID BRACKETS ADJACENT TO THE HELICAL MEMBER OR THE SIDE THEREOF OPPOSITE FROM THAT WHEREIN SAID TRAY WAS HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED, TO A POSITION WHERE IT SERVES AS A STOP LIMITING THE EXTENT TO WHICH COINS MAY BE PLACED IN SAID HELICAL MEMBER. 